Pettrs



(No Model.)

J. RANDALL.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING LUMBER.

Patented Feb. 14,1882.

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NIT-ED STATES PATENT Orric.

JAMES RANDALL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING L UMBE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 253,556, dated February14, 1882.

A Application filed May 25, 1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES RANDALL, of thecity and county of San Francisco, in the State California, have inventedcertain new and use ful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus forDrying Lumber; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and ex- I act description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a novel arrangement for subjecting lumber whichhas been piled in a yard or other locality to a current of heated air inorder to dry and season it without handling or removing it from theplace where it is piled.

It consists in erecting a temporary cover or housing over the pile oflumber, and then introducing the heated air at one end of the pile andwithdrawing it from the other end, so as to pass the hot air over andthrough the pile, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a general plan,showing the application of my improvement. Fig. 2 shows the' manner ofhousing or inclosing a pile of lumber. Fig. 3 shows one of the clamps.

A represents a pile of lumber, which is piled up in racks in theordinary way of piling lumher. In order to dry and seasonthis pile oflumber, I construct a temporary housing, 13, which can be made-ofcanvas, boards, or other material over it so as to completely inclosethe pile. I then introduce hotair into the housing at one end andwithdraw it at the opposite end, so as to establish a currentof hot airthrough the lumber in the pile, and this current I maintain untilthe'lumber is thoroughly'dried.

and seasoned, after which I remove the cover or housing, leaving thelumber in a seasoned place of this engine I construct a heat-generator,D, through which coils of pipe can pass 'from the fire-place or, ifprefered, the exhaustchamber I lay a permanent pipe or tube, E,

through the yard, between the piles of lumber, in any desired direction,and the end of this pipe or tube I close tightly to prevent the escapeof the hot air. At the opposite end of the piles A A, I lead anotherpermanent pipe, G, parallel with the pipe E. One side of this pipe Iclose tightly and the other end I connect with a fan-blower, B. Each ofthese pipes has short tubes 1, leading at right angles from it towardthe ends of the piles of lumber, and each short tube has a cock, J, bymeans of which the passage through it can be closed. I then construct mytemporary housing over whichever pile or piles of lumber I may desire tosubject to the drying operation, so as to inclose the ends of the branchtubes hit each end of the pile. I then open the cooks so as to admit theheated airinside the housing and through the egress-pipe G. Thefan-blower is then set in operation, and a current of heated air isdrawn through the pile of lumber, so

as to dry and season it in the usual-manner .of drying and seasoninglumber in dryinghouses.

When I employ a canvas cover or housing I introduce clamping-timbers K-K (shown more plainly at Figs-2 and 3) at intervals in the pile oflumber. Each timber K has a groove cut out of one side or edge, in whicha tollower or rail, L, is placed and secured by screws m or otherdevice. This serves as a clamp to secure and hold the canvas cover andform a strong and substantial housing, which can readily be removed whenthe drying and seasoning are finished.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The improvement in the art of drying and seasoning lumber, consistingin erecting a temporary cover or housing over the lumber after it ispiled and passing a current of heated air through the lumber,substantially as above described.

2. Theimprovementin mill andlumberyards, consisting in laying permanentpipes E G between the piles of lumber, each of which pipes is providedwith branch tubes I, extending toward the ends of the piles of lumber,and then connecting one of the pipes with a hotair generator or heaterand the other With a fan-blower, H, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. In the construction of piles of lumber in yards, the combination ofthe timbers built or placed at intervals in the piles, a clamping device, and a temporary cover, substantially as described.

In witness whereofI have hereunto set my 15 hand and seal.

JAMES RANDALL. Attest:

W. F. CLARK, W. Von.

